After being exiled for eighteen years, the prince returned to the capital as a veritable immortal.

Golden Throne Hall.

Laughter and cheerful voices filled the air, creating a lively scene inside the hall.

The ministers gathered in twos and threes, as if chatting idly on the street.

Joyful laughter rose in waves.

The guards outside the hall, holding halberds, stared at each other, bewildered.

During the decades-long reign of Empress Wu, court assemblies were always solemn and dignified, and had never been so chaotic.

It's much noisier than a rural market.

On the high platform, the Martial Emperor leaned back in his dragon throne, looking down at the commotion and chaos below with a pleased expression.

Since Emperor Ying announced the ten-day agreement, the atmosphere in the imperial city has been too dull and oppressive.

The tyrant's infamy shocked the world, and many people were pessimistic about the future of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Many more people pledged allegiance to Emperor Ying, waiting for the restoration of the Great Feng Dynasty.

The court officials were all in a state of fear, and many resigned and returned to their hometowns to avoid being caught in the crossfire when the country fell.

Today's battle has finally dispelled the gloom in the hearts of the ministers.

Confidence in the Great Qian imperial family has been rekindled.

"Congratulations, Grand Marshal! Your Iron Army is invincible in battle!"

"Congratulations, General Huo! Your Flying Army has swept across the land!"

"Congratulations to the Second Prince and the Sixth Prince on your rapid progress in cultivation!"

……

The civil and military officials surrounded the four men and offered their congratulations.

Wang Ben was killed, and 300,000 enemy soldiers were annihilated.

It can absolutely be called a great victory.

"Wang Jian and his son destroyed six kingdoms and swept across eight regions, helping the tyrant Ying Huang to unify the world."

Prime Minister Feng Ji finally got a chance to speak and said,

"Among the fiercest generals of the previous dynasty, none surpassed these two..."

"The Prime Minister is right!"

The fourth prince raised his voice, seized the opportunity to speak, and said...

"The two biggest turtles were taken down by Prince Yi, the remaining small fry are nothing to worry about!"

Feng Ji rolled his eyes and glared angrily at the Fourth Prince.

He finally managed to get a chance to speak, but he only managed to say half a sentence.

"The Fourth Prince is right!"

"Fourth Prince, you're such a smart aleck!"

The military generals lacked literary talent, and the civil officials' ornate rhetoric left them completely bewildered.

The fourth prince's words were exactly what they wanted to hear, and they all cheered and applauded.

"In terms of merit, it should be His Highness the Crown Prince!"

The Overlord Emperor's loud voice drowned out all other sounds.

Although he did not participate in the battle, his contribution to guarding the imperial city was still indispensable.

"Indeed, indeed, the Crown Prince has made a great contribution!"

"Your Highness Prince Yi is the greatest contributor!"

"Your Majesty, I humbly believe that the Crown Prince should be richly rewarded!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, you must reward him handsomely!"

"Absolutely! A hefty, inhumane reward!"

……

The Emperor nodded repeatedly.

Not only did he repeatedly achieve military merits, but he also cultivated several generals for the court who were capable of pacifying the country.

To put it bluntly, Zhou Yi single-handedly shouldered the responsibility of the entire nation, overcoming all obstacles and forging ahead with determination.

Such merit deserves no reward whatsoever.

"What do you gentlemen think is the best way to reward the Crown Prince?"

Emperor Wu asked.

Having repeatedly rendered great service and received numerous rewards, he could no longer think of any new and creative ways to reward himself.

"I think we should grant them fiefdoms."

"A pardon from death."

Empress Wu shook her head repeatedly at these suggestions.

The entire world will belong to Zhou Yi; rewarding him with land is meaningless.

A death-free gold medal?

Just kidding, who could possibly kill the Crown Prince?

If we're talking about immunity from death, it would be more accurate to say that Zhou Yi issued immunity tokens to other people.

"Father, bestow upon me all the beauties of the land!"

The fourth prince beamed and said, "Prince Yi has no heir yet..."

The ministers immediately nodded.

By the time Zhou Yi reached that age, the other imperial grandsons already had children around their necks.

Even the Martial Emperor's eyes lit up.

Seeing that his suggestion was widely approved, the Fourth Prince became excited and danced with joy:

"A nationwide selection of concubines, choosing beauties from all over the land..."

The fourth prince suddenly shivered and felt a chill run through his body.

A murderous intent locked onto him.

He swallowed back what he was about to say.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

A loud announcement came from outside the hall.

His voice was filled with excitement and pride.

The entire hall fell silent.

Everyone quickly returned to their positions.

The left side is for martial arts and the right side for literature, with a much wider passageway in the middle than usual.

Everyone looked toward the entrance of the main hall, lining the path to welcome the Crown Prince.

A dark dragon robe, a tall and slender figure, a faint smile on his face...

Zhou Yi remained as low-key as ever.

however.

In the eyes of everyone, he was nothing less than a dragon among men, a pillar supporting the sky.

A man should be like this.

Everyone was completely calm, unable to find the words to describe him.

Only the fourth prince felt a chill run down his spine.

Hu Die, who looked like a fairy in white, stayed by Zhou Yi's side.

A half-smile, half-smile swept over him, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

The fourth prince smiled bitterly to himself.

It seems he said something wrong.

……

"Congratulations, Crown Prince, on eliminating the two greatest allies of Emperor Ying!"

"Congratulations, Imperial Grandson! The defeat of Emperor Ying is just around the corner!"

"Congratulations on the Crown Prince's arrival..."

Zhou Yi stood in the front row, and all the ministers immediately offered their congratulations.

however.

Their words were immediately stopped by Zhou Yi raising his hand.

"Emperor Ying has been planning for many years, and his ambitions are immense."

What we are seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg.

"It is too early to reward those who have made contributions."

No sooner had the words been spoken than a minister pointed his finger in praise:

"The Crown Prince's foresight in times of peace is far beyond our reach!"

The other ministers unanimously agreed:

"The Empress Dowager's vision is far beyond our reach!"

It sounded like he was full of respect.

The disdain in their eyes revealed the disapproval in everyone's hearts.

The straightforward military general secretly shook his head.

It's just that Zhou Yi's achievements were so great that no one dared to question them.

The sixth prince opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped himself.

The Overlord Emperor couldn't help but say:

"The Crown Prince is too modest; Emperor Ying's two strongest generals have been killed."

"The other soldiers are nothing to fear."

The others dared not agree, but they all nodded in agreement.

Zhou Yi smiled slightly, having no intention of arguing with the crowd, but simply reminded them:

"Bai Qi, a former general of the Great Feng Dynasty, was most skilled at slaughtering soldiers."

"Please, Grand Marshal, kill him first."

"promise."

Wei Qing bowed and accepted the order, saying, "I will definitely kill Bai Qi before the ten-day deadline!"

The Second Prince and the Sixth Prince simultaneously requested to go into battle:

"Father, I am willing to lead the army to assist the Grand Marshal!"

Emperor Wu, Wei Qing's gaze habitually fell on Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi said calmly, "No troops are allowed."

Only the commander-in-chief will fight on the battlefield?

Then everyone remembered that historical records stated:

"Bai Qi charged out with a single spear thrust, and tens of thousands of soldiers lay dead."

If this butcher is allowed to besiege the capital, the number of deaths and injuries will be countless.

Everyone secretly admired him.

The Crown Prince's strategic vision is indeed far beyond that of ordinary people.

Killing Bai Qi was nothing more than a snap of the fingers for Zhou Yi.

Entrusting this matter to Wei Qing is a way to train the court officials to grow.

Zhou Yi desires a powerful and prosperous Great Qian Dynasty.

The task was assigned and the requirements were clear; how to achieve it was up to Wei Qing to plan.

"I will not fail in my mission!" Wei Qing accepted the order.

……

Zhou Yi was highly meritorious, but his style of doing things was unconventional.

Therefore, he displeased many ministers.

One of the censors stepped forward and said:

"Prince Yi's achievements are unparalleled, and no one in the world can even come close to them."

"However, the rules and regulations of the court are the laws of our ancestors, and they cannot be violated."

hiss--

So brave!

How dare they question Zhou Yi?

Everyone was worried for the censor.

At the same time, everyone understood.

This is an accusation against Zhou Yi for daring to bring female relatives into the imperial court.

Hu Die held no official position or rank; she was merely a maidservant of Zhou Yi.

Even if, as Zhou Yi said, Hu Die was his sister, she was still just an ordinary woman.

Without being summoned by the Empress, one is not qualified to step into the Golden Palace.